Bioactive Compounds and Bioactivities of Centella asiatica (L.) Urban Prepared by Different Drying Methods and Conditions

Centella asiatica (L.) Urban has attracted significant research and commercial interest due to its many health-promoting bioactive compounds, especially phenolic compounds and triterpene saponins, which possess several functional capacities, including antioxidant activity and antimicrobial activity. Prior to its use, however, C. asiatica usually needs to be dried to extend its storage life and to prepare the material for subsequent pharmaceutical processing. The present study investigated the effects of selected drying methods and temperature on the drying characteristics, phenolic compounds, triterpene saponins, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity of dried C. asiatica. Hot-air drying (HAD), combined infrared–hot air drying (IR-HAD), and low-pressure superheated steam drying (LPSSD) were carried out at various temperatures (50, 60, 70°C). The results showed that higher drying temperatures led to higher drying rates but to lower levels of total phenolic compounds, total triterpene saponins, antioxidant activity, and antimicrobial activity. At the same drying temperature, IR-HAD resulted in the highest drying rates; this was followed by LPSSD and HAD in a descending order. Nevertheless, LPSSD resulted in the highest levels of the tested bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, as well as antimicrobial activity. LPSSD at 50°C yielded dried C. asiatica of the best overall quality.     

Study of Intermittent Low-Pressure Superheated Steam and Vacuum Drying of a Heat-Sensitive Material

Low-pressure superheated steam drying (LPSSD) has recently been applied to drying of various heat-sensitive foods and bioproducts with success. Several studies have shown that the quality of LPSSD-dried products is superior to that obtained using conventional hot air or vacuum drying. However, drying time and energy consumption for LPSSD is generally greater than that for vacuum drying. Therefore, it is necessary to examine different methodologies to improve the energy efficiency of LPSSD. An intermittent drying scheme is one possible method to reduce the energy consumption of the process while maintaining the desired product quality. In this study, the effect of intermittent supply of energy (through an electric heater and steam injection to the dryer) and vacuum (through the use of a vacuum pump) at various intermittency values or on:off periods (10:5, 10:10 and 10:20 min in the case of intermittent supply of energy and 5:0, 5:5, and 5:10 min in the case of intermittent supply of vacuum) at the on-period setting temperatures of 70, 80, and 90°C on the drying kinetics and heat transfer behavior of the drying samples (banana chips) was studied. The effects of these intermittent drying schemes and conditions on the quality parameters of dried banana chips; i.e., color, shrinkage, texture, and ascorbic acid retention, were also studied. Finally, the energy consumption values for intermittent LPSSD and vacuum drying were monitored through the effective (or net) drying time at various intermittent drying conditions and compared with those using continuous LPSSD and vacuum drying.     

Effects of Different Drying Methods on Bioactive Compound Yield and Antioxidant Capacity of Phyllanthus amarus

Phyllanthus amarus (P. amarus) has been used as a herbal medicine, particularly for liver support, in many countries and its extracts have been shown to possess potent antioxidant and anticancer properties in vitro. The preparation of dried sample is crucial for further extraction and isolation of phytochemicals. In this study, the effects of six different drying methods (hot air, low-temperature air, infrared, microwave, sun, and vacuum drying) on the phytochemical yield and antioxidant capacity were determined to identify the optimal drying method for P. amarus. The results showed that different drying methods, as well as different drying conditions within each method, significantly affected phytochemical yield and antioxidant capacity of P. amarus extracts. Infrared drying at 30°C was the best method for both retention of bioactive compound yield and antioxidant capacity of P. amarus extract, with 12 compounds were identified. In contrast, low-temperature-air drying at 25°C not only required the longest drying time but also significantly reduced the levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity of P. amarus. Therefore, infrared drying at 30°C is suggested for drying P. amarus for subsequent assessment of bioactivity.     

Comparative Evaluation of Physical Properties of Edible Chitosan Films Prepared by Different Drying Methods

Edible films are alternative packaging, which have recently received much attention due mainly to environmental reasons. Edible films may be formed from edible biomaterials such as polysaccharides, proteins, or lipids. Among these biopolymers, chitosan is of interest because it has a good film-forming property and is biodegradable, biocompatible, and nontoxic. Several techniques have been used to prepare edible chitosan films with various degrees of success. However, it is always interesting to find an alternative technique to produce films of superior quality at shorter processing (drying) time. In this study, the influences of different drying methods and conditions on the drying kinetics and various properties of chitosan films were investigated. Drying at control conditions (ambient air drying and hot air drying at 40°C) as well as vacuum drying and low-pressure superheated steam drying (LPSSD) at an absolute pressure of 10 kPa were carried out at different drying temperatures (70, 80, and 90°C). The properties of chitosan films, in terms of color, tensile strength, percent elongation, water vapor permeability (WVP), glass transition temperature (T _g ), and crystallinity, were also determined. Based on the results of both the drying behavior and film properties, LPSSD at 70°C was proposed as the most favorable conditions for drying chitosan films.     

A Vacuum Drying Model for Mango Pulp

Abstract

Vacuum drying of mango pulp at varying conditions of pulp thickness (2, 3, and 4 mm) and vacuum chamber plate temperature (65, 70, and 75°C) was carried out under 30–50 mm of mercury absolute pressure. A model based on moisture diffusivity was found to give close prediction to moisture content of the pulp at different times of drying with correlation coefficient varying between 0.98–0.99 for pure mango pulp and pulp with ingredients. Color change of reconstituted pulp made from mango powder was found to depend more on pulp thickness than plate temperature. For getting low color change vacuum drying should be carried at maximum pulp thickness of 2.6 mm and vacuum chamber plate temperature of 72.3°C.     

Production of antioxidant dietary fibre powder from cabbage outer leaves

White cabbages have been reported to contain high amount of dietary fibre (DF) and bioactive agents with high antioxidant activity. However, outer leaves of cabbages are discarded and treated as wastes and may only be used for fertilizer or animal feed. It is interesting to transform the residue into a value added product. The production of dietary fibre powder associated with antioxidant activity produced from cabbage outer leaves was developed in this study. The effects of hot-water blanching and hot air drying temperature (70–90 °C) on the quality of dietary fibre powder produced from cabbage outer leaves were investigated. The quality of interest was measured in terms of proximate composition and visual colour. The dominant antioxidant substances, i.e. phenolic content and vitamin C, as well as total antioxidant activity, as determined by β-carotene bleaching method, were also evaluated. The information obtained could provide a guideline for industrial application.     

Management of Surface Drying Temperature to Increase Antioxidant Capacity of Thyme Leaf Extracts (Thymus vulgaris L.)

Thyme leaves are an important source of essential oils with antioxidant activity; these compounds are located in trichomes on the leaf surface. The drying conditions affect not only the drying time but also the antioxidant activity. In the literature, a drying temperature of 70°C appears to be the best for drying thyme leaves according to their antioxidant capacity. Considering drying periods at different temperatures also could be beneficial. With these considerations, the goal of this work was to establish a drying strategy with which to manage a drying temperature on the leaf surface that will enable the drying time to be shortened and improve the antioxidant capacity (AC) of the extract of dried thyme leaves. The drying strategy consisted of two consecutive drying periods in order to manage the drying temperature on the leaf surface. The first drying period was carried out at 80°C (T _a1) until the sample surface reached a temperature of 70°C, and the temperature was then immediately set to 70, 60, 50, and 40°C (second drying period, T _a2) at different air velocities (v; 1 and 2 m s^?1). Compared to constant drying conditions, two consecutive drying periods were found to improve the drying kinetics: the AC increased from 10.5 to 27.4% while reducing the drying time by 14.5 to 39.2%. The use of this drying strategy was found to be an interesting means of intensifying the convective drying of thyme leaves and its application should be considered when drying similar materials with bioactive compounds on the surface.     

Drying of Orthosiphon aristatus leaves: Mathematical modeling,drying characteristics,and quality aspects

The stage of maturity for Orthosiphon aritatus (OA) leaves revealed that stage I (young leaves) provided the highest bioactive compounds. Vacuum blanching (VB) for 75?s gave the highest sinensetin (28.4% increment) and eupatorin (21.0% increment) compared with heated water blanching (HWB). The modified Henderson model was the most suitable desorption isotherm model for the OA leaves. The VB and unblanched OA leaves were dried by different drying methods, including convection tray drying (CTD, 40–60°C), heat pump dehumidify drying (HPD, 40–60°C), mixed mode solar drying (64.6°C), and freeze-drying. Three-parameter model (TP) was the best model to explain all drying curves. The drying constant, K in the TP and activation energy were fitted to the Arrhenius model. Effective moisture diffusivities were increased with the VB, drying temperatures, and HPD. The highest specific moisture extraction rate was obtained from the VB and dried in the HPD at 60°C. The quality aspects of sinensetin (10.2% retention), eupatorin (10.7% retention), total phenolics, and antioxidant activity revealed the best quality for the OA leaves pretreated by the VB and dried in the HPD at 60°C and could reduce drying time by 44.8% compared with the CTD. The VB of the OA leaves and dried using the HPD at 60°C were recommended.     

Encapsulation and delivery of bioactive compounds using spray and freeze-drying techniques: A review

Abstract

There are various bioactive components exist in plants, fruits, and vegetable origins that have many beneficial health effects (mainly antioxidant). However, they suffer from low-stability against the environmental condition. Thus, the encapsulation approach emerged to decrease their sensitivity and present a target delivery system. Generally, native carrier agents (polysaccharides and proteins) are being applied to embed the core materials. Accordingly, many encapsulation methods have been developed to protect vulnerable components by these carriers. Spray and freeze-drying are common encapsulation methods with the ability of powder production. Both feed emulsion production and drying process factors substantially influence the core embedded within the carrier agents. Spray-drying is well-known to higher applicable and scalable encapsulation procedure in the food and pharmaceutical industries. It is predominantly related to its lower process costs. Nevertheless, its application is limited for more sensitive bioactive compounds due to hot-air drying exertion. In contrast, freeze-drying has been mostly used for thermo-sensitive ingredients. Its application is restricted by economic drawbacks for which long process time (24–48?h) is required. However, freeze-drying is adequately taken into an advantage in the encapsulation of therapeutic compounds since high-added value products will be produced so that bioactive compounds with higher biological activity are needed.     

Redox (pro-oxidant/antioxidant) balance in the spray drying of orange peel extracts

ABSTRACT

Phenolic compounds have been reported to show both antioxidant and pro-oxidant properties. The effects of spray drying conditions on the balance between antioxidant and pro-oxidant properties of orange peel extract have been evaluated in this work. The inlet drying temperatures (ranging between 100 and 175°C) gave no significant effect on the redox recoveries. On the other hand, the main air flow rate (between 28 and 38?m³/h) and feed pump rate (between 4 and 7?mL/min) significantly affected the pro-/antioxidant recovery ratio. The ratios of pro-/antioxidant recovery were found to be between 1.00 and 1.13, and the pro-oxidant and antioxidant recoveries in this study were found to be between 87–96 and 83–93%, respectively.     

Effect of agronomic practices and drying techniques on nutritional and quality parameters of onions (Allium cepa L.)

The effects of four drying treatments (freeze-drying, hot air drying, oven drying, and vacuum oven drying) on the bioactive compounds (total phenolics, total flavonoids, and quercetins), color, and antioxidant capacity of organic and nonorganic onions of two varieties (Red Baron and Hyfort) subjected to two agronomic treatments (OSOP and CSCP) were investigated. The average final dry weight of the samples was 9.82?±?0.41%. After drying, there was a significant increase in total phenolics, total flavonoids, total quercetin, and antioxidant capacity in comparison with fresh onion samples, which suggested that drying can improve the extractability of phenols and accordingly the antioxidant activity of onions. Different drying techniques also resulted in different fractions of individual quercetins. Dried organic onions had higher levels of bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity than dried nonorganic onions for a same variety. The highest antioxidant capacity displayed by freeze-dried and hot-air-dried organic Red Baron onion is in agreement with their higher phenolic and flavonoid contents compared to all other samples.     

Influences of Drying and Storage of Lycopene-Rich Carrots on the Carotenoid Content

ABSTRACT

The stability of β-carotene and lycopene was investigated during convective air and inert gas drying, microwave vacuum drying, and freeze-drying for lycopene containing carrots (Daucus carota L. cv. Nutri Red). After convection drying at temperatures below 70°C, β-carotene and lycopene contents remained unchanged independent of the drying medium. Freeze-drying did not show any advantage to convection-drying regarding carotenoid retention. Microwave vacuum–drying led to dry products with high carotenoid retention within very short drying times of about 2 h. Storage in air and in inert gas (nitrogen) containers was studied for convection-dried products, observing a better retention of carotenoids when using inert gas for a period of up to 6 months. After convection- and microwave vacuum–drying, an even better carotenoid extractability could be observed. No changes in the isomere fractions could be detected in any case.     

Physicochemical property changes of cabbage outer leaves upon preparation into functional dietary fiber powder

White cabbages (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) are important sources of dietary fiber (DF) and glucosinolates, which are claimed to possess anticarcinogenic activity. Although the potential use of cabbage outer leaves as starting raw materials to produce functional dietary fiber powder (DFP) has been reported, the effects of various processing steps that are necessary to produce the powder have not been systematically investigated. To allow minimization of losses of glucosinolates during production of DFP the effects of processing steps, i.e., slicing, blanching and drying, on the changes of total glucosinoltates in cabbage outer leaves were investigated; the changes of DFP compositions and color were also investigated. It was noted that the preparation steps did not lead to any significant changes of the DFP compositions. On the other hand, steam blanching was noted to better preserve glucosinolates than water blanching. Drying methods and conditions did not lead to any significant effect on the DFP compositions; however vacuum drying led to better retention of glucosinolates. Color of the DFP was not affected by the drying methods and conditions. The results suggested that cabbage outer leaves should be prepared into DFP by steam blanching prior to slicing in combination with vacuum drying at 80 °C.     

Microencapsulation of Kaffir Lime Oil and Its Functional Properties

This paper describes the effects of spray drying temperature and wall materials on functional properties of kaffir lime oil microcapsules. The effects of spray drying were studied at inlet air temperatures at 160, 180, and 200°C. Two coating materials (konjac glucomannan and gum arabic) were employed in this study. The results indicate that kaffir lime oil had antibacterial activity against all tested pathogens and was able to inhibit Vibrio cholerae comparable to a standard antibiotic. The combination of konjac glucomannan and gum arabic (KGM+GA) can enhance the yield and retention of total oil in the microcapsules more than using konjac glucomannan alone as a wall material. Increasing inlet air temperature resulted in a decrease of antibacterial activity and amount of bioactive volatile compounds. Physical and chemical properties of the microcapsules did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) in terms of process yield, a _w , moisture content, efficiency in retention of total, surface and inner oil, water solubility index, and color except at inlet air temperature of 200°C. However, it was found that the kaffir lime oil microcapsules from KGM+GA produced at inlet temperature of 180°C had the best functional properties in terms of antibacterial activity and efficiency of retention of total encapsulated oil.     

Effects of drying conditions on physicochemical and antioxidant properties of banana (Musa cavendish) peels

A significant amount of banana peels is generated as waste annually and shows great potential as a lead material for further utilization in the nutraceutical industry. However, potentiality of banana peel utilization largely depends on the favorable drying condition of the material before it can be used for further processing. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the suitable drying conditions for banana peel. This study investigated the effect of six different drying methods on the quality of banana peels. The results showed that different drying conditions significantly affected the physical, chemical, and antioxidant properties of dried peels. Microwave irradiation at the power level of 960?W for 6?min was the most suitable condition, as these dried peels had good physical properties, minimum loss of bioactive compounds, and antioxidant properties. This was followed by freeze-drying, vacuum oven at 60°C, hot air oven at 120°C, dehumidified air at 60°C, and sun drying. The peels dried by microwave possessed a total phenolic content of 25.26?mg of gallic acid equivalents/g of dry matter (DM) and potent antioxidant capacity [(1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) of 37.70; 2,2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid of 46.35; ferric reducing antioxidant power of 45.94; and cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity of 64.55?mg of trolox equivalents/g of DM]. Therefore, the study recommends the use of microwave irradiation under the studied condition (power level of 960?W for 6?min) for further processing and utilization.     

Spray Drying and Process Optimization of Unclarified Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Juice

In this study, production of pomegranate juice powder using a spray dryer was investigated. To prevent stickiness, maltodextrin dextrose equivalent 6 (DE6) was used as a drying agent. While feed flow rate, feed temperature, and air flow rate were kept constant, air inlet temperature (110–140°C), percentage maltodextrin (MD; maltodextrin dry solids/100 g feed mixture dry solids; 39.08–64.12%), and feed mixture concentration (19.61–44.11 °Brix) were chosen as the independent variables. Product properties investigated included moisture content, hygroscopicity, anthocyanin content, color change, solubility, bulk density, total phenolics content, antioxidant capacity, and sensory properties. The products were produced with high yield (86%) and high antioxidant activity (77%). MD and drying temperature were found to be the most important variables in production of pomegranate juice powders. Because total color change (ΔE), bulk density, antioxidant capacity, and powder yield were affected strongly by the independent variables, these parameters were used in optimization of the process. The optimum temperature, feed mixture concentration, and percentage maltodextrin were 100°C, 30.8 °Brix, and 53.5% MD, respectively. This study revealed that by applying these optimal conditions, pomegranate juice powder with a 55% dry solids yield, 9.78 total color change, 0.35 g/mL bulk density, and 57.8% antioxidant capacity were produced.     

Bioactive and Physicochemical Properties of Persimmon as Affected by Drying Methods

In this study, the effects of three different drying methods (freeze drying, oven drying, and vacuum oven drying) on bioactive (total phenolics, total flavonoids, condensed tannin and total hydrolyzable tannin contents, antiradical activity, and antidiabetic activity) and some physicochemical (dry matter, ash, water activity (a _w ), color, protein, hydroxymethylfurfural, glucose and fructose content) properties of persimmon fruit were investigated. Simplex lattice mixture design methodology was applied to determine the best solvent mixture for the extraction of phenolics from the samples. It was found that the mixture of acetone:water at the ratio of 50:50 % (v/v) was the best solvent mixture for the extraction. The persimmon powder sample obtained from freeze drying showed significantly (p <0.05) higher bioactivity values than oven- and vacuum-oven-dried samples. Antiradical activity changed significantly depending on the drying method employed and it was superior in freeze-dried samples than that of the other drying methods.     

Design and performance evaluation of a pilot-scale pulsed vacuum infrared drying (PVID) system for drying of berries

Abstract

The objective of current work was to develop a new pilot-scale pulsed vacuum infrared drying (PVID) system for the drying of berries. The system design and drying performance evaluation for grape and goji berries are reported here. The PVID system consisted of three major sections, including infrared heating section, vacuum section, and a controlling section. Electrical infrared (IR) emitter was made with carbon fiber sheet at the thickness of 2–4?mm, which emitted IR wavelength of 1–30?μm. The control system was used to achieve paused pressure by switching the drying chamber pressure between atmospheric pressure (101?kPa) and vacuum (3–10?kPa) successively and maintaining the pressure for different time periods. Grapes and goji berries were dried in a single layer at three different temperatures (55, 65, and 75?°C) with an atmospheric duration ranging from 1 to 12?min and vacuum duration from 10?min to constant vacuum. The drying characteristic and quality of PVID dried berries were investigated and compared with that of hot air (HA) dried berries. Results showed that the IR heating temperature, atmospheric duration, and vacuum duration had significant effects (p?<?.05) on the drying time. The optimum drying conditions for grapes and goji berries were IR heating at 65?°C, vacuum duration of 15?min, and atmospheric duration of 4 and 2?min, respectively. The corresponding drying time is nearly 720?min for grapes, and 450?min for goji berries. The PVID dried grapes and goji berries had more attractive color than that of HA dried ones. These findings demonstrated that PVID should be a promising method to produce high-quality dried berries. This study laid a good foundation for scaling up the technology in the future.     

Effect of different drying methods on morphological,thermal, and biofunctional properties of lulo (Solanum quitoense Lam.) fruit powders

Four different powders of dried lulo (Solanum quitoense Lam.) were obtained by hot air drying (HD), ultrasound-assisted hot air-drying (HDUS), freeze-drying (FD), and spray-drying (SD). The morphological (SEM) and thermal (TGA–DSC) characterization were made, and some biofunctional properties such as dietary fiber (DF) content and antioxidant capacity (ABTS and DPPH assays) were evaluated. The homogeneous morphology of SD particles was evident from SEM analysis, in contrast to the irregular morphology of the other dried powders. All of the dried lulo powders were thermally stable until 220°C. Although, the initial composition of the mixtures (fruit pulp/maltodextrin DE-20, 2:1, w/w) was the same, some differences on DF content and antioxidant activity were found, indicating that the drying method influenced significantly the chemical composition of powdered products. A higher insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) percentage was found in FD sample; in contrast, a higher in vitro antioxidant capacity values against ABTS and DPPH free radicals were found for HD and SD powders.     

Changes in physicochemical properties and digestive characteristics of yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) powder under different processing conditions using principal component analysis

Abstract

This study aimed to understand and establish changes in the physicochemical properties of yam powder with different processing methods, and select a suitable method for use in the development of hypoglycemic functional foods. Samples were dried using three methods, namely hot air drying, vacuum freeze drying, and microwave vacuum drying, and turned to powder using two smashing methods, namely ordinary smashing and superfine smashing (SS). Color changes, polarized light microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, polysaccharide dissolution rates, α-glucosidase inhibitory activities, glucose dialysis retardation indexes, and digestive characteristics were measured. The results showed that the drying method and the smashing method had significantly different effects on the physicochemical properties and digestion characteristics of the yam powder. Freeze-dried yam retained more nutrients, while SS increased the rapidly digestible starch content, reduced the digestible starch and resistant starch contents, and increased the polysaccharide dissolution rate in the yam powder samples. Six samples were compared using principal component analysis, with the highest composite score observed for the samples treated by freeze drying coupled with SS, followed by hot-air drying coupled with superfine smashing (HAO).